Radial head weight-controlled hose extension device



B. WAGNER June 17, 1952 RADIAL HEAD, WEIGHT-CONTROLLED HOSE EXTENSION DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1950 J-Wiji UMP w m/ mu MR m& w w. N m B I aT'rORNEY June 17, 1952 B. WAGNER 2,601,073

RADIAL HEAD, WEIGHT-CONTROLLED HOSE EXTENSION DEVICE Filed Jan. 20, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BERNFSRD W225 w n June 17, 1952 B. WAGNER RADIAL HEAD, WEIGHT-CONTROLLED HOSE EXTENSION DEVICE Filed Jan. 20, 1950 4 SheetsSheet 5 '.]O. F g;

A PST'IORNEY B. WAGNER June 17, 1952 RADIAL HEAD, WEIGHT-CONTROLLED HOSE EXTENSION DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 20, 1950 I N V EN TOR. BERNARD WA GNER aar'r nwzy Patented June 17, 1952 RADIAL HEAD WEIGHT-CONTROLLED HOSE EXTENSION DEVICE Bernard Wagner, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 20, 1950, Serial No. 139,680

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a hose extension device for liquid dispensing apparatus, and it comprises more particularly a fixture for service station pumps which makes available a greater length of hose in all directions around the pump and which automatically retrieves the hose after use for convenient storage on the outside of the pump housing.

The usual service station pump is provided with a ten-foot hose. Its length would desirably be greater in order that the servicing area might be increased, but is limited by the necessity of safe-guarding against hazards created by hasty or careless replacement of the hose on the pump after use. A ten-foot length of hose emerging from near the top of one of the tall pump housings can be stored in a single depending loop and does not have to be coiled by the attendant. Festoons of longer hose, however, would likely project beyond the edges of the pump island where they could become entangled with car bumpers, or if allowed to trail in the driveway would endanger attendants and customers. The ten-foot length of hose therefore represents a compromise in the interest of safety and convenience.

The shorter pumps which are currently in vogue intensify the problem of hose storage, for the hose cannot be made materially shorter and yet'be stored on the side of the pump housing without being coiled. Various extension devices have been proposed to enable the handling of hose at least as long as that heretofore used, as for example a spring retracted reel,.but in the main thesev are complicated and require frequent mechanical adjustment, and in some cases the pump housing must be increased in dimensions to contain the reel or include a fire wall, etc., all contributing to higher cost.

In another device the hose is normally heldin coiled position by an embedded helical spring wire. While this relieves the attendant of having to coil the hose manually after each dispensing operation, when the hose is pulled out for use and the spiral or' coil straightens out it is prone to snap or whip about, out of control, thus endangering persons in the servicing area.

01 other various constructions there is one in which the hose enters the base of the pump housing and extends upwardly along its side, being held erect by embedded spring strips which. permit lateral bending when a pull is exerted on the nozzle end. Thus, without increasing the length of looped portion of the hose as stored on the housing, the available length for servicing is increased. This arrangement, however, requires long piping within the housing, reaching to the base, and a special base with socket to receive the self-supporting hose.

Another device involves the use of a weighted sheave which rides on a loop of the hose within the dispenser housing and which is guided in vertical movement by a trackway within the housing, so that a portion of the hose may be retrieved and stored within the housing. However, there are also disadvantages in this arrangement. For example, in compliance with underwriters requirements the housing must be specially designed with a fire wall between the hose well and the pumping equipment. Furthermore, the total hose length is usually 18' feet, 5 feet of which are never usable for increasing the servicing area, since that length of hose remains within the housing even when the hose is completely extended. Moreover, protective accessories on the outside of the housing are vnecessary to preserve the casing finish, and

maintenance problems are accentuated.

In addition to the disadvantages specific to each of the aforementioned prior art devices there is another disadvantage common to all. In each case, the efiective servicing area of the hose is not uniform around the dispensing unit, due to the fact that a considerable portion of the hose is taken up as the hose is carried around the various corners of the housing. It

is, of course, highly desirable to be able to use effectively a maximum length of hose in all directions around the pump.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a hose extension device for dispensing apparatus such as a gasoline pump, which guides the hose in a position where it will clear the pump housing when extended in any direction outwardly therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hose extension device mounted on the outside of a pump housing, which is capable of extending the effective length of hose and of automatically retrieving the hose after use, for compact storage on the side of the pump housing.-

These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention wherein the free end of a hose which hangs in a depending loop from its connection with the pump passes over a swiveled guide which projects above the top of the pump housing and which swings in any direction in which the hose is pulled, so that the hose may be extended equal distances in all directions around the pump, the looped portion of the hose being engaged by a vertically guided weight which retrieves a sufiicient length of the hose after use to enable the remaining length to be hung on the housing without coiling and without exercise of particular care on the part of the attendant.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter relating thereto.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 diagrammatically shows the servicing area possible with the various hose arrangements employed with prior art service station pumps and graphically illustrates the limitations which are overcome by the present invention.

Figure 2 diagrammatically shows the increased servicing area resulting from use of the hose extension device of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hose extension device and hose carried thereby as stored on the pump housing.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hose extension device as employed for ordinary or closeup servicing operations.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hose extension device showing the hose in completely extended position with the retrieving weight elevated to its maximum height.

Figure 6 is an end view of the rotatable hose guide.

Figure '7 is a section taken along line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly in section, showing together the weight and weight guide.

Figure 9 is an elevation, partly in section, taken along line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a section taken through the weight along line IIl-I0 of Figure 9.

Referring to Figure 3, I is the dispenser housing provided with a base 2 and top 3 and the usual elbow 4 connecting a source of liquid supply under pressure within the housing with a dispensing hose 5. Hose 5 is shown arranged in two loops characteristic of its stored position on the side of housing I and is provided on the free end thereof with a nozzle 6 of conventional design. Nozzle 6 may be stored on the housing by means well known in the art, such as nozzle holster 1 and hook 8 cooperable with the usual guard on nozzle 6. The first loop of hose 5 is in continuous slidable engagement with a weight 9 which is guided in a vertical path by means of a guide or trackway I0 affixed to housing I with bolts II. Thus, weight 9 will be elevated when pull is exerted on the nozzle end of the hose, and will return to the position as shown in Figure 3 upon release of the hose.

A rotatable hose guide, having a supporting member I2 affixed on the side of housing I and near the top thereof by suitable means, such as bolts, and further having a rotatable standard I3 extending from member I2 above the top 3 of housing I, is provided to accommodate hose 5 passing therethrough and in continuous slidable engagement therewith. Thus, hose 5 may be rotated 360 to achieve a maximum servicing area. Housing I may be provided with one or more guides such as I4 to facilitate more compact storage of the hose.

As stated, the hose is shown in stored position in Figure 3. When it is necessary to employ the hose for a dispensing operation, nozzle 6 is simply disengaged from holster I and hook 8 in the usual manner and the length of hose from nozzle 6 to supporting member I2 of the rotatable hose guide is available for servicing operations within a 36 radius of member I2. This position of the hose handling apparatus, which makes available sufficient hose for ordinary dispensing operations, is shown in Figure 4. Since no substantial tension is thereby exerted upon hose 5, weight 9 will remain in its lower position. However, when it is desired or necessary to service at greater distances from the dispenser, an additional length of hose is made available by simply exerting pull on the hose. This causes weight 9 to ride alongguide I0 to an elevated position, as shown in Figure 5, hose 5 meanwhile sliding beneath weight 9 and through members I2 and I3 of the rotatable hose guide. The additional amount of hose which is thereby made available depends upon the height of housing I, the position of elbow 4 with respect to housing I and the length of travel of weight 9.

Referring to Figures 6 and '7, which show in more detail the rotatable hose guide, a socket member I2 is provided with one flat exterior face adapted to be secured to housing I by such means as bolts, and accordingly is formed with tapped holes I5 to accommodate bolts not shown. Member I2 has an inwardly directed circumferential flange I9 at its top which retains a bearing ring I6, the latter having a threaded fit upon the tubular projecting end 20 of the swiveled standard I3, the outer portion of which is angularly directed for leading the hose radially outward from the axis of rotation of the standard. An externally threaded ring nut I'I secured by set screw I8 retains the bearing ring I6 and consequently secures the parts of the swivel-joint together. Annular oil grooves, as shown, may be provided in the upper surfaces of the bearing ring and ring nut to lubricate the joint for free movement of the parts under thrust. In order that the hose may be drawn easily through the guide, rollers 2I are journaled in standard I 3, and a bridging guard 22 at the end of the standard assists in confining the hose so that it tracts properly on the rollers.

Details of the weight and weight guide are shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. Referring thereto, it can be seen that weight 9 is provided, with a vertical slot 23 in its rear to accommodate weight guide I0. Two rear plates 24 and 25, respectively, secured to weight 9 and extending over slot 23, are provided to facilitate engagement of the weight with the weight guide. A face plate 26 is provided on the front of weight 9, and the same means, such as rivets 21, may be employed to secure plates 24, 25 and 26 to weight 9. Of course, all such elements may be combined in one casting. All three of plates 24, 25 and 26 extend beneath weight 9 to accommodate rollers 28 located therebeneath and between the plates, plate 26 extending low enough to assure continuous slidable engagement of hose 5 with rollers 28. Weight guide I0 is formed of three strips of metal 29, 30 and 3| secured rigidly together by suitable means such as rivets 32, or made in one casting. The center strip 30 is more narrow than strips 29 and SI between which it is sandwiched to form edge slots for the purpose of slidable engagement with plates 24 and 25 secured to weight 9. Strip 30, however, near the top thereof is of the same width as strips 29 and 3I to form stops 33 which by contact with plates 24 and 25 serve to arrest further vertical movement of weight 9 after it has become completely elevated. The nozzle hook or any blocking device can act as a stop at this point, so long as it is located at the top of guide H1. The downward travel of weight 9 is arrested at the limit of its movement by means of a small plate 34 which is secured to strip 3| and housing I by suitable means such as bolts 1 I. Plate 34, being the width of strips 29 and 3|, blocks further downward movement of plates 24 and 25 engaged in the slot formed by strip 30. Plate 34 is provided with a projecting shelf 35 which forms a rest for hose 5 to keep the hose in engagement with rollers 28 when no tension is being exterted on the hose. Thus, weight 9, cooperating with weight guide lll, will ride in a limited vertical path on housing I in response to tension exerted upon the hose.

Thus, I have achieved one of the objects of my invention by providing an improved hose extension device which has the advantage of extending the effective servicing area of existing gasoline dispensing apparatus while being capabel of retrieving and storing the hose in a practical manner. Another object is achieved in the construction which permits 360 radial use of a maximum amount of the hose, as shown in Figure 2, as opposed to the many devices of the prior art which are restricted in this respect. On all present devices, at some position the pump housing interferes with the direction of the hose and. shortens its serviceable length. Moreover, the apparatus of my invention offers a greater length of usable hose and a smaller amount of unusable hose due to the fact that the entire hose and hose retrieving mechanism are located on the outside of the housing. For the same reason, maintenance problems are reduced, and existing dispenser housings can readily be provided with such hose handling apparatus at moderate cost. In addition, no accessories are needed to keep the hose off the dispensing islands or driveways when the hose is extended or stored, or to protect the finish of the dispenser, as is necessary in much of the prior art hose handling apparatus.

Resort may be had to many modifications of my invention and the equivalents of many of the elements employed therein as fall within the scope of the claim hereinafter made.

I claim:

A liquid dispensing device comprising an upstanding housing adapted to project above a surrounding service area and having side walls and a top, a dispensing hose extending exteriorly of said housing from a high point in a side wall thereof and disposed in a depending loop along the side of the housing, a vertical track mounted on said side wall within the looped portion of hose, a weight engaging said track and guided thereby for vertical movement, said weight riding within and bearing upon the depending looped portion of said hose, a tubular bracket mounted on said side wall above said track and adapted to receive the upwardly extending return portion of the looped length of hose, a rotatable standard swiveled in said bracket and extending above the top of said housing, the upper, projecting end of said standard being angularly directed with respect to its axis of rotation and comprising spaced side members having a terminal bridging portion which is adapted to overlie the hose guided between said side members and to direct the hose outwardly from a position above the top of the housing, whereby the hose may be extended in any direction through an arc of 360 degrees without interference by the housing.

BERNARD WAGNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,422,359 Hill July 11, 1922 1,499,644 Dowrelio July 1, 1924 1,597,328 Read Aug. 24, 1926 2,340,217 Grise Jan. 25, 1944 2,345,338 Goldberg Mar. 28, 1944 

